Southern Professional Hockey League

	Pixels	150px
	Caption	Southern Professional Hockey League logo
	Sport	Ice Hockey
	Founded	2004
	Teams	7
	Champion	Fayetteville FireAntz
	Website	wwwthesphlcom

The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) is a low-level Professional Ice Hockey league with teams located in the southeastern United States .

The SPHL's history traces back to three other short-lived leagues. The Atlantic Coast Hockey League started play in the 2002 - 03 season. After its only season, the ACHL dissolved with member teams forming the nucleus for two rival leagues, the South East Hockey League and the World Hockey Association 2 . After one season the SEHL and WHA2 disbanded, with their surviving teams rejoining with two expansion teams to form the SPHL, commencing with the 2004 - 05 season.

TEAMS

Current

Columbus Cottonmouths ( Columbus, Georgia ) Joined SPHL 2004-05, Charter Member.

Fayetteville FireAntz ( Fayetteville, North Carolina ) Joined SPHL 2004-05, Charter Member.

Huntsville Havoc ( Huntsville, Alabama ) Joined SPHL 2004-05, Charter Member.

Jacksonville Barracudas ( Jacksonville, Florida ) Joined SPHL 2004-05, Charter Member.

Knoxville Ice Bears ( Knoxville, Tennessee ) Joined SPHL 2004-05, Charter Member.

Twin City Cyclones ( Winston-Salem, North Carolina ) Joined SPHL 2005-06 as Pee Dee. Relocated to Winston-Salem 2007-08. {Link without Title} {Link without Title}

Richmond Renegades ( Richmond, Virginia ) Joined SPHL 2006-07.

Relocated teams

Pee Dee Cyclones ( Florence, South Carolina 2005/06 - 2006/07) to Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Defunct teams

Macon Trax ( Macon, Georgia ) SPHL 2004/05, WHA2 2003/04, ACHL 2002/03

Winston-Salem Polar Twins ( Winston-Salem, North Carolina ) 2004/05

Asheville Aces ( Asheville, North Carolina ) 2004/05

Florida Seals ( Kissimmee, Florida ) SPHL 2005/07, WHA2 2003/04, ACHL 2002/03. Originally Orlando Seals (ACHL/WHA2); were supposed to be a charter franchise as well. (Membership terminated in the middle of the 2006-07 SPHL season) {Link without Title} )

KEY RULE DIFFERENCES

As per minor leagues, there are some rule differences between the SPHL and the NHL (and even the ECHL and AHL, the two official developmental leagues regulated by the Professional Hockey Players Association).

A team may dress sixteen regular players to a game. Two players dressed for the game will be goaltenders.

There is no trapezoid restriction limiting the goaltender playing the puck and is eligible to play the puck anywhere on his side of the center redline.

A mouthpiece is required for all players except the goaltender.

No curvature of stick limitations as in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL.

Shootouts are five players (as in the ECHL and AHL).

All overtime periods in the regular season are between three skaters per team and the goaltender (3 on 3, compared to 4 on 4 in other leagues). Penalty rules differ during the overtime:

--- During the first three minutes of overtime, in case of a penalty, the non-offending team is awarded one extra skater per penalty (up to five).

--- In the final two minutes, any minor penalty results in an automatic penalty shot.

http://www.thesphl.com/news/?id=4229

CHAMPIONS

SEE ALSO

List Of Ice Hockey Leagues

Sports League Attendances

EXTERNAL LINKS

Southern Professional Hockey League website

intotheboards.net - SPHL

ITB Forums - SPHL

	CATEGORIES ABOUT SOUTHERN PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

	southern professional hockey league

	ice hockey leagues

	minor league hockeysouthern professional hockey league

	ice hockey leagues

	minor league hockey

	ice hockey leagues

	APPAREL
	BABY
	BEAUTY
	BOOKS
	CAR TOYS
	CELL PHONES
	DVD'S
	ELECTRONICS
	GOURMET FOOD
	GROCERIES
	HEALTH & PERSONAL
	HOME & GARDEN
	JEWELRY
	MUSIC
	MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
	OFFICE PRODUCTS
	SOFTWARE
	SPORTING GOODS
	TOOLS & HARDWARE
	TOYS
	VIDEO GAMES
	SHOPPING HOME

	MORE SHOPPING...

Information About

Southern Professional Hockey League